Effects of Irrigation and Various Plantation Modalities on Production and Concentrations of Caffeoylquinic Acids and Flavonoids of Globe Artichoke Leaves (Cynara scolymus L.)

Artichoke is a source of caffeolquinic acids and flavonoids for pharmaceutical industry as their concentrations in the leaves tend to be very high. A three-year field experiment was conducted in Poland to estimate the effects of irrigation and various plantation modalities on the concentrations and productions of these substances. In the experiment four methods of plantation establishment (single-grain direct seeds sowing, seeds sowing with covering with nonwoven polypropylene film, seedlings produced in a plastic tunnel transplantation, seedlings produced in multicell trays in a plastic tunnel transplantation) as well as drip irrigation on the background of unwatered plots were used. Generally, supplemental irrigation was connected with better developed plants, that produced greater number of longer leaves and as a result higher above ground parts weight, whereas dining the second cut (performed in October) significantly higher yields of better quality artichoke leaves were obtained. Both, with and without irrigation, yield was lower in the case of transplantation of seedlings with bare roots and at a less degree in the case of direct sowing without covering. The concentration of CQA and flavonoids were higher without irrigation and much lower in direct sowing than in transplantation. Thus, studies showed that direct sowing (even though with crops covering) resulting in lower yields of worse quality of artichoke raw material. Seedlings produced previously in plastic tunnel transplantation could be indicated as better method of artichoke plantation establishment for pharmaceutical purposes.